


Behind Closed Books

by Sam_Nook



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Books, Cardverse, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Spades Kingdom, Teens in love, Traditions, USUK - Freeform, abcchallenge, inspired by the word bibliophile, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:49:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25816087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sam_Nook/pseuds/Sam_Nook
Summary: Alfred, in return, struggled for his words. He glanced helplessly at the books around him as if they could offer advice before clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders. "Prince Arthur." He greeted cooly, trying to copy Arthur's unfazed greeting.
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Behind Closed Books

**Author's Note:**

> ABC Challenge #2
> 
> Bibliophile which means a person who collects or has a great love of books.

Alfred wasn't sure at all what to get Arthur. They had been married for a month by now, but Alfred was sure that didn't count for anything. It wasn't like he knew Arthur before they were wed. It was fate and tradition that they were married, not out of love. In the back of his mind, Alfred could hear Yao's stern voice, "being king means sacrificing time, love, and much more." Alfred wasn't sure how happy he was about tradition and fate. It seemed to make his life a lot more complicated than it needed to be, and not to mention; it was the excuse that Yao and the councilmen made for everything. 

Tradition stated that a month after Spadian royalty's wedding, they were to exchange gifts of goodwill. It was supposed to show the Kingdom the budding union between the two. Alfred didn't mind the gift exchange; in fact, he was looking forwards to it. Alfred just didn't understand why they had to do it in front of their citizens. It was bad enough that he had to find a gift that Arthur appreciated, but one that also captured the hearts of the Kingdom. 

"Yao, is this really necessary? Come on, I barely even know Arthur." Alfred muttered into the blue and silver scarf wrapped around his neck. Despite the snow building up on the streets and roofs of the capital city and the cold that bit into Alfred's cheeks, Yao still insisted they head out to look for Arthur's gift. Alfred couldn't exactly disagree, so he followed Yao and two guards out of the warmth and safety of the Spades' Castle. 

"You know it is, Prince Alfred. You must follow traditions like all of those who came before you." Yao barely glanced back at Alfred but instead peered down the busy street at their first stop. "Besides, Arthur is a lovely lad. I'm sure you can find him something on our outing." 

Alfred didn't reply. Once Yao brought up tradition and rules, he knew better than to question him. It wasn't Yao's fault anyway; he had his own rules to obey as Jack of Spades. Besides, Alfred was sure all of these traditions and laws existed long before Yao was alive. Yao may be as old as Alfred's grandfather, but Spades had existed centuries before Yao was born. At least, he hoped. He didn't remember much from the history lessons he was taught since he was marked as the next King in line. 

"Well, go on in. I'm sure you'll find the right gift." Yao gently prodded Alfred towards the ornate door of a large bookshop. Alfred grumbled in resistance but pushed open the door and stepped inside. The shop seemed larger inside, and it was filled to the brim with shelves and books. Neither of these items did Alfred particularly enjoy, but this outing wasn't meant for his gain. He sighed and stepped further into the building; the faster he found a book, the faster he could go back to the castle. 

The wooden floor creaked under his feet as he quietly shuffled towards a more hidden shelf. He shoved the furlined hood of his blue coat up and silently thanked whatever God had made the bookshop empty while he was in it. At least no one was able to approach him and ask him about the gift. Granted, Mathias wouldn't let anyone get that close to him in the first place. 

He pulled off his woolen gloves and shoved them into one of the many pockets sewed on to his oversized coat. With his hands free of the gloves, Alfred is free to touch the books. He reached out and trailed his fingers across the spine of the nearby novels. Alfred glanced down the long line of shelves and huffed, how exactly was he supposed to find the perfect gift for Arthur? He picked one randomly and pulled it out of the shelve to investigate it. The title and back page boasts of some romantic novel about a farm girl and her lover. Discouraged, he shoved it back in its place. 

Deciding right then and there that that particular shelf held nothing of value, Alfred headed down towards the next one. After all, he still had a whole other floor of books to check out before he gave up and left. 

As he turned the corner, Alfred found himself staring out of a large window into a picturesque scene of a snow-covered forest. Alfred knew that somewhere in that forest was the castle that he just came from nearly twenty minutes ago. Besides the window, the large sill has been covered in pillows and blankets to invite someone to sit and read. The seat's alluring nature seemed to have work as Alfred quickly spotted someone sitting there reading. As Alfred could see, as an oversized blue coat hid the person, much like Alfred's, the figure was small and curled up on one cushion. Alfred could spot a tuff of golden hair peeking out from under the hood, and the incredibly pale skin of their hand as the other turned the page. His mind turned to Arthur, his queen-to-be, but he softly laughed because Arthur was still in the castle. 

To Alfred's surprise, it was Arthur. The Queen in waiting had seemingly snuck out, which wasn't fair as Alfred could never pull that trick off anymore, and somehow made his way to this shop. Alfred stared, and Arthur rolled his eyes. 

"Suprise, Prince Alfred," Arthur muttered dryly. He closed the book he had been intently reading and uncomfortably squirmed under Alfred's stare. 

Alfred, in return, struggled for his words. He glanced helplessly at the books around him as if they could offer advice before clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders. "Prince Arthur." He greeted cooly, trying to copy Arthur's unfazed greeting. 

"I can't particularly say I would imagine meeting you in a bookshop." Arthur pushed the blanket off his lap and stood with a determined gleam in his eyes. "What brings you here?" 

Alfred gulped and watched Arthur approach him. He opened his mouth to speak but clamped it shut, he crossed his arms and glared playfully. "I can't tell you. It's a secret." 

Arthur pouted but let the topic drop. He eyed Alfred suspiciously for a moment longer before deciding that the king-to-be and husband wasn't impressive enough as the book he had temporarily abandoned. He settled back on the cushion and opened to the page he had left off on to began reading again. Alfred stared down at him, unsure how to react. He didn't like the fact that Arthur was now ignoring him, so he marched over to the window seat. 

"I want you to read to me." Alfred demanded, he paused before hastily adding, "please." 

Arthur peeked over the book and stared at Alfred for a long moment before sighing and nodding in agreement. "Well, take a seat." 

Alfred clambered into the window seat next to Arthur and pulled the dark blue blanket over his own knees as he settled on the thin cushion. He leaned slightly over Arthur's slender shoulders and quietly waited for Arthur to continue reading aloud. 

Although Alfred had only been married to Arthur a month, and had only known him a few months longer than that. Alfred could reluctantly admit he loved Arthur's voice. Arthur's voice was softer's than Alfred's and somehow held a touch of silkiness. Alfred's voice cracked with the weight of puberty, and despite the princes being nearly the same age, Arthur had seemed to skip that stage. It wasn't fair. Arthur had the voice that could lull you to sleep or tempt you into doing what he wanted. Not that Alfred had been imagining Arthur seducing him. 

Alfred's mouth was dry, and despite Arthur speaking out loud, Alfred couldn't exactly hear what he was saying. He just hummed and nodded to pretend that he was paying attention to the story when, in reality, he stared at Arthur. He wondered what his thoughts meant, like how he couldn't stop thinking about Arthur and how he looked as he read. Alfred couldn't help but admire Arthur's lips, the gleam in his eyes that openly explained what he was feeling, and the thin fingers that turned the page. Briefly, he could recall Yao lecturing him about what he was going through as a growing teen. That Alfred would start imagining others in a more than friendly way, among other things, was normal for his age. 

Alfred tensed at the realization. Did he see Arthur in that kind of way? They were married, after all. Wasn't he supposed to fall in love with whoever he married, or was it just for fairytales? He knew there was a bond between Arthur and him because of their roles, but was it related to his feelings? 

"Can I kiss you, Arthur?" The words were out before Alfred could stop them. He immediately tensed and jerked away as his cheeks began to redden. Arthur nearly dropped the book, and his own cheeks seemed to mirror Alfred's. For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke. Arthur was frozen in his spoke as he stared at the floorboards beneath them, and Alfred's tense body trembled. 

Arthur broke the silence between them with a whisper. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. We are supposed to fall in love. It's our duty." He set the book down again and reached out towards Alfred's taut figure. The future King trembled under Arthur's fingertips, and the realization hit Arthur quickly. It seemed Alfred had never been kissed before. 

Alfred stared at him expectantly, and before he could say a word in protest, Arthur sealed the question with his lips. Neither of them were experienced in kissing, but it didn't matter as Arthur let out a sound of satisfaction. Arthur's grip lessened on Alfred's broad shoulders, and Alfred's once tense body relaxed against the glass behind him. Arthur's eyes were opened. Alfred watched with fascination as the soft light from the window reflected, making Arthur's green eyes a little greyer. 

Almost immediately as it had started, Arthur pulled away. Both of them laughed softly and nervously as they settled against the walls and glass behind them. Arthur was the first to recover despite the redness in his cheeks and ears. "I suppose I ought to start reading again." Alfred nodded as he stumbled for his thoughts. 

The two seemed to settle back down into a peaceful quietness. Alfred once again took his spot leaning against Arthur, and Arthur's smooth voice filled the air around them. The snow filtered through the natural light behind them and cast soft shadows around them. Drowsily, but happily, Alfred listened. 

Thoughts of gifts and traditions had long left Alfred's mind. Instead, it was filled with Arthur's softly spoken words and how right that kiss felt. As time passed in their quiet little nook, Alfred couldn't help but feel sleepy. Arthur's voice seemed to lull him, and he didn't want to fight it. It felt right to be next to him; to sleep beside him and so he let himself fall asleep against Arthur's slender body.


End file.
